Imperial Guard: Another FNG

Hey there, this week I'm going to do a brief series on my latest endeavour: The Imperial Guard.

We'll start with the why. Why was I attracted to the Imperial Guard, a relatively average army among my list of Xenos and snowflake armies? In a word: Tanks. I love tanks. Artillery tanks, IFV "tanks", battle tanks, I love them all. I love the lumbering behemoth, scattering foes before its mighty gun! The very presence of a Battle Tank causes widespread changes on the battlefield, from deployment to shooting to assault, on a fundamental level. The concept of the Main Battle Tank is iconic and ingrained from the first time you hear the words world war 2. Battle tanks lead Germany to nearly conquer Europe, and then allowed the Americans to lead the charge back with the Sherman. Tanks are everywhere, the rulers of the modern battlefield, and I think no other models (besides a power armoured space marine) better captures 40k. It's almost a wonder I didn't start earlier.

One big downside (and this is the thing holding me back before now) is the cost. Not points wise, but currency wise. People tend not to sell large Guard lots used (which I view as an example that they stood the test of time!) especially not the coolest models (like elysian drop troops or steel legion!), and the idea of ordering several boxes, even at the relatively cheap costs offered by online 3rd party retailers, is daunting to say the least. Not to mention the assembling and painting (horde armies are terrifying, as my still unpainted Tyranids show). All in all, it is expensive and labour intensive, which I suppose explains the lack of large used lots on the cheap.

The plus sides outweigh the negatives, in my mind. They are versatile, playing as hordes, elite mechanized troopers, tank spearheads, gunlines, whatever you need to get your jollies, they have it. They have psykers, they have old school cavalry, they've got hovering fire-platforms, they have mortar teams that make hordes cry. They have some of the best vehicle choices in the game which, while expensive, perform roles that consistently match up with beating down the infantry-reliant meta. Not only does the versatility allow you to beat most, if not all army types when played carefully and when built with TAC in mind, but they give you a great many options when deciding how you want to play the game. Variety is, of course, the spice of life.